We describe a method for measuring modal birefringence in optical fibers. It combines an interferometric technique with wavelength scanning and permits a precise nondestructive measurement of the birefringence along different sections of a long optical fiber. The experimental results for high-birefringence fibers, 10 and 100 m long, are presented. An accuracy of approximately 0.1% is achieved in the spectral range of 600–850 nm.
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